that he was speaking to a banker, and that he was Minister of Finances,he proceeded to express all his disgust of money. Ah! what poisonous,murky, and defiling waters were those in which money-making went on!
However, he repeated that he would chastise his insulters, and that astatement of the truth would suffice for the purpose.Duvillard listened and looked at him. And all at once the thought ofSilviane came back, and took possession of the Baron, without any attempton his part to drive it away. He reflected that if Barroux had chosen togive him a helping hand when he had asked for it, Silviane would now havebeen at the Comedie Francaise, in which case the deplorable affair of theprevious night would not have occurred; for he was beginning to regardhimself as guilty in the matter; if he had only contented Silviane's whimshe would never have dismissed him in so vile a fashion."You know, I owe you a grudge," he said, interrupting Barroux.The other looked at him in astonishment. "And why, pray?" he asked."Why, because you never helped me in the matter of that friend of minewho wishes to make her _debut_ in 'Polyeucte.'"Barroux smiled, and with amiable condescension replied: "Ah! yes,Silviane d'Aulnay! But, my dear sir, it was Taboureau who put spokes inthe wheel. The Fine Arts are his department, and the question wasentirely one for him. And I could do nothing; for that very worthy andhonest gentleman, who came to us from a provincial faculty, was full ofscruples. For my own part I'm an old Parisian, I can understand anything,and I should have been delighted to please you."At this fresh resistance offered to his passion Duvillard once morebecame excited, eager to obtain that which was denied him. "Taboureau,Taboureau!" said he, "he's a nice deadweight for you to load yourselfwith! Honest! isn't everybody honest? Come, my dear Minister, there'sstill time, get Silviane admitted, it will bring you good luck forto-morrow."
This time Barroux burst into a frank laugh: "No, no, I can't castTaboureau adrift at this moment--people would make too much sport ofit--a ministry wrecked or saved by a Silviane question!"Then he offered his hand before going off. The Baron pressed it, and fora moment retained it in his own, whilst saying very gravely and with asomewhat pale face: "You do wrong to laugh, my dear Minister. Governmentshave fallen or set themselves erect again through smaller matters thanthat. And should you fall to-morrow I trust that you will never haveoccasion to regret it."
Wounded to the heart by the other's jesting air, exasperated by the ideathat there was something he could not achieve, Duvillard watched Barrouxas he withdrew. Most certainly the Baron did not desire a reconciliationwith Silviane, but he vowed that he would overturn everything ifnecessary in order to send her a signed engagement for the Comedie, andthis simply by way of vengeance, as a slap, so to say,--yes, a slap whichwould make her tingle! That moment spent with Barroux had been a decisiveone.
However, whilst still following Barroux with his eyes, Duvillard wassurprised to see Fonsegue arrive and manoeuvre in such a way as to escapethe Prime Minister's notice. He succeeded in doing so, and then entered
